A site dedicated to culture with a focus on popular music; from the fringes to the forefront.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Album Review: Triad-TRIAD

Triad

TRIAD

**and 1/2 out of *****

Triad is a Greek quartet that takes traditional jazz and blends it with a fusion touch for various results on it's first studio release. Dimitris Keramidaki, Alekos Roupas, Michael Evdemon and Apostolis Vangelakis respect their homeland and are the players who vary up enough to keep things from becoming staid.

The opener "MAZEPPA" begins the album on a routine if not exciting light jazz vibe before half way through the track a flurry of ivory work kicks the song into uncharted, Mediterranean sounding territory until its all to soon fade out; what seemed routine got exciting quick.

That is a returning theme here as songs seem to be going in one direction before twisting and getting spiced up. "Crazy Monks" gets augmented by out of left field tempo bounces and some appropriately breathy scat singing while "Καιγομαι και σιγολιωνω" takes some male vocal work and alters things up with a singing break that messes with the tempo and blowing fills.

"Lost Castles" wanders over a stuttering drum as a scattered electric bass rambles around but both are held in check by a smooth sax. The title track has imposing and haunting intro as the instrumentation expands to include various percussion, flutes and piano banging; when it's five and half minute run time is over it sticks with you.

Not all of the tracks are successful, the vocals on "Μαυρα μου χελιδονια" don't mesh with the playing but on "Kαμπισιο" the frantic piano worked is paired with a catchy groove and songs like this makes Triad worth a listen.
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Another bandcamp find for Jazzy January.